Feeling Confident with Braces: Tips & Tricks

If you have crooked or uneven teeth, they may make you feel embarrassed or insecure. But for many people, the solution – braces – can cause confidence issues, too. Here are a few tips for feeling confident when wearing braces.

Stay focused on the end result.

If you’re feeling less then confident in your new braces, keep reminding yourself: they’re only temporary, and the end results will be worth it!

Consider clear or lingual braces.

If you simply can’t imagine that you’d be confident enough to smile with metal braces, ask your orthodontist about more inconspicuous options, Like Invisalign clear orthodontic aligners, or lingual braces (which, while metal, are attached to the backs of the teeth).

Think of your braces as accessories.

Your braces are going to be part of your appearance for many months, or possibly even years. Try to think of them as an accessory, like a necklace or earrings. Use colourful elastics or bright lipsticks to make them stand out, rather than trying to make them blend it.

Remember that braces are actually kind of cool.

We know what you’re thinking: that’s a stretch. But it’s true! Braces are incredible, intricate little mechanisms that you wear in your mouth, that quietly work away at straightening your teeth, without your having to do anything. You may not love how they look, but you have to admit, they’re pretty neat.

Just smile.

Whether you feel confident about it or not, just smile anyway! Fake it until you make it. The fact is, the more you avoid smiling in an attempt to awkwardly hide the fact that you have braces, the less confident you’ll feel – and look. People will know you have braces whether you smile or not, so you might as well go for it!

The more you smile with braces, the more used to it you’ll get, and the less self-conscious you’ll feel.

There are many things patients can do to prepare for their first orthodontic consultation, from researching common bite problems and treatments, to familiarizing themselves with orthodontic terminology.